


Black Canary's fall

by Bl4ckHunter



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Fix-it to 3x13, Not for fans of Laurel Lance, Other, Reality check
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 08:55:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20775884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bl4ckHunter/pseuds/Bl4ckHunter
Summary: One-shot story. Oliver gives Laurel a reality check about taking the Black Canary mantle.





	Black Canary's fall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen/gifts), [Phillipe363](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phillipe363/gifts), [Aragorn_II_Elessar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aragorn_II_Elessar/gifts).

> This was prompted by a comment on Like old times from Stand with Ward and Queen, which really pissed me off. The Katie Cassidy/Laurel Lance fanatics apparently have no limits.
> 
> Takes place in 3x13, where Oliver talks with Laurel about her taking the role of the Black Canary.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

"Can I talk to you for a second? Alone?" Oliver said as he went outside into an alley outside Verdant.

"I know what you're going to say but I risked my life for this city, while you were gone." Laurel said. "That should earn me some respect."

"This isn't about respect and it's not about risking your life but since we're talking about respect, what have I done that you, John and Felicity barely respect me now?" Oliver asked calmly.

"You were gone for a month, we all thought you were dead and you have no idea what we've been through!" Laurel said.

"Then let me enlighten you on what I've been through." Oliver said.

"Yeah, you fought Ra's and you almost…"

Laurel stopped, when Oliver unbuttoned his shirt and gasped upon seeing the fresh scar on his chest as she gasped in shock.

"…died. I would've died if it hadn't been for some friends of mine." Oliver said, glaring. "But I'm not using that as an excuse to tear you down and question your decisions, unlike you. I understand that you miss Sara and I understand that when you go out like this, all of that pain goes away. But that relief isn't real. It's a drug."

The shock dissipated as she glared at Oliver, not liking that he was throwing her mistakes at her face. "If you're implying…"

"You are an addict. And just like with booze and pills, that high that you're chasing every night, is endangering your life." Oliver said.

"Go to hell, Oliver. You don't get to play that card with me. Ever." Laurel snapped. "And if there's anyone, who is using adrenaline to hide the pain of real feelings and real life, it's you."

"No. I'm just doing what I can to protect you and everyone else I care about and make this city a better place." Oliver said.

"So am I!" Laurel shot back.

"But you're not Sara!" Oliver exploded as Laurel was quiet. "You hadn't seen the dark places we did. The kinds, where we would've beaten the crap out of a good man, just for the fun of it. And when I saw Sara…" He breathed out. "I accepted that at the end of the road there's no happy ending for me, just a tip of an arrow, edge of a blade or a barrel of a gun. Just because you call yourself the Black Canary, doesn't mean you're anywhere as good as Sara."

Laurel had enough of it but Oliver lazily dodged with no effort as she attempted to throw punches and as she threw the second punch, Oliver pinned her to the wall, grabbing her by her wrist as Laurel groaned.

"Still think you're as good as Sara? She would've been able to free herself." Oliver said as Laurel shook violently but to no avail before the humiliation and realization dawned onto her as she stopped struggling. "You're not like Sara. And you never will be. Think about it before you put on that wig and the suit again. Laurel… I love you and I loved Sara… so that's why I don't want you to see yourself get killed. Don't go down this path because it would break your father's heart and it would break Sara's too."

Oliver let her go and left as Laurel was alone in the alley, reflecting on what he had said. Part of her wanted to lunge at Oliver and beat him to a pulp before she started to wonder, whether she could beat him and then, she wondered whether she could actually be a match to Sara.

**Author's Note:**

> To be honest, Earth-1 Laurel has nothing in common with her comic book counterpart, asides from name. Laurel's training in the show was rushed, since realistically speaking, few weeks with Nyssa and boxing trainer Ted Grant, does not mean she's a match for multiple members of the League of Assassins and honestly, her being able to take on multiple members of the League of Assassins effortlessly in Season 3 was stupid.
> 
> In comic books, Dinah Lance is a martial artist, who had been trained by Lady Shiva, Wonder Woman and Batman, among other martial artists and Sara had been trained by the League of Assassins for four years and Laurel's skills are no match for Sara, Black Siren or Dinah Drake, she is a novice in comparison to these three and out of all three Canaries (four, if you count Black Siren), she is the weakest.
> 
> So, claiming that Laurel in the show could take on Ra's al Ghul, Oliver or someone else, is honestly freaking stupid and ridiculous and the delusional fanatics need to put that in their heads.
> 
> I myself had been disappointed by Laurel's fighting skills in the show, so I did try to improve them later in The Dar(h)k War series, since I didn't like how Laurel was handled as Black Canary. I myself have had some other Oliver/Earth-1 Laurel ideas in mind outside of my series but these fanatics have made me lose taste for it and most likely I am not going to write stories with this pairing outside of my series very often.
> 
> None of this is anything against Laurel but I'm stating the facts here. Earth-1 Laurel honestly sucked and was the weakest of the Canaries, if you compare her with Sara, Black Siren and Dinah Drake.
> 
> Honestly, if Laurel was going to take on Oliver, she'd end up with her ass beat in a blink of an eye and don't get me started on the abusive toxic Oliver/Dinah relationship in Rebirth, where Dinah, often with no justified reason asides from Oliver's antics and shenanigans, tears Oliver down and beats the crap out of him.
> 
> If you don't get that and believe that Earth-1 Laurel is the one true Black Canary and will try to push your opinion into this one-shot and be vulgar and tear down Sara, Dinah and Earth-2 Laurel, all you will be doing, will be annoying me, embarrassing yourselves and proving my point that you are obsessed idiots with no lives that have nothing more important to do than being annoying and I am not going to waste my time on you. All comments of such nature will be automatically ignored and deleted.
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have enjoyed this one-shot.
> 
> With regards
> 
> Bl4ckHunter


End file.
